Brake-shoe for the wheels of vehicles.



J. EARLAM & J. WILD.

BRAKE SHOE FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1908.

912,369. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

' l r Even/Z071 T L ZZnesseS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EARLAM, OF STOGKPORT, AND JOSEPH WILD, OF BLACKLEY, ENGLAND.

BRAKE-SHOE FOR TIE WHEELS OF VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed May 22, 1908. Serial No. 434,400.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J Aims EARLAM and Josnrn WILD, subjects of GreatBritain, residing at Stockport, in the county of Chester, and Blackley,in the county of Lancaster, both in the Kingdom of Great Britain, haveinvented new and useful improvements in Brake-Shoes for the Wheels ofVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

Brake shoes for the wheels of vehicles have hitherto been constructed toact on the flange and the rim of the wheel. In practice it has beenfound that such shoes do not readily free the wheel when withdrawn asthey stick to the flange, which causes the car to jerk frequently and isa great annoyance to passengers.

The object of our invention is the construction of a brake shoe in whichthe said defects are overcome and which requires considerably lessweight of metal. We attain this object by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a front view of a brakeshoe constructed in accordance with our invention shown attached to theusual bracket carrying it and in contact with a tram car wheel. Fig. 2is a sectional plan of Fig. l on line AA. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 arerespectively a back side view, edge view, and plan of our improved brakeshoe separate.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a is the brake shoe, 6 the brake shoe bracket, 0 the flange, and (Z therim of the wheel.

In carrying out our invention and referring to the figures generally, wecast our improved brake shoe a as generally is the case in one piece butinstead of allowing the flange c of the wheel to come into contact withthe whole length of the brake shoe, we form at that part adjacent to thepart of the shoe adapted to act upon the rim (Z of the wheel, asegmental or similar cavity or recess e, completely open at the innerside. The bottom f of this cavity or recess is at such a depth as to benearly level with the back 9 of the part of the shoe acting on the .rimd of the wheel, see more particularly Fig. 2, so that the latter can benearly worn through without the flange of the wheel coming into contactwith the bottom of the said cavity or recess. This cavity or recessextends to near each end of the shoe and the shoe has in each end a slotit, see more particularly Figs. i and 5, which receives the flange ofthe wheel and thereby holds the shoe laterally in position, thusliberating the inner side of the flange of the wheel practically alongthe whole length of the respective side of the brake shoe. The depth ofthe said slots relative to the part i of the shoe which acts upon therim of the wheel when the brake is applied is such that the side thereofopposite the periphery of the flange of the wheel will not touch theflange for some time after the shoe has been first fitted to the brake.If desirable the back of the shoe acting upon the rim of the wheel aswell as the back of the said cavity or recess may have ribs orstrengthening pieces.

The improved construction of brake shoe described causing less friction,not only perleasing the wheel more readily, but in stopping a car owingto the wheel being not liable to lock, skidding is also prevented.

life are aware that previous to our invention it has been proposed toproduce a brake shoe having a number of cavities which however were ofsuch a form as to leave the whole length of the shoe in contact withboth sides of the flange.

We claim:

l. A brake shoe for the wheels of vehicles having a cavity opposite theflange of the wheel forming a slot in each end to receive the flange,the said cavity being completely open at its inner side so that only theends of the shoe will receive the flange of the wheel, all substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. A brake shoe for the wheels of vehicles having a cavity opposite theflange of the wheel forming a slot in each end to receive the flange,the said cavity being completely open at its inner side so that only theends of the shoe will receive the flange of the wheel and of such adepth that its bottom is nearly level with the back of the shoe actingupon the rim of the wheel, all substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES EARLAM. JOSEPH WVILD. Witnesses:

ALFRED BOSSHARDT, STANLEY E. BRAMALL.

